Opportunity Park

Don't pass up the opportunity to take your dog to Opportunity Park. This L-shaped South Dallas park is bursting with unique design elements that will delight your senses as you enjoy a stroll with your favorite pup. Its most noteworthy features are its folded steel pavilions. One sits adjacent to a series of flat stone circles that look more like a museum installation or the site of a gnome congress than a standard seating area. Another looks like a ceremonial tent from an advanced alien civilization. 

These spaces are as functional as they are beautiful and fascinating, providing shade and clean places to rest. Other elements bring the park more down to earth, like plaques noting important local historical figures. You'll learn a lot if you stop and read all of them! You don't have to be an architecture or history buff to get enjoyment out of this 20-acre park, though. It's also full of gorgeous mature trees, many of which have bent themselves into strange shapes. One leans back as if frozen in a yoga pose, branches reaching reverently toward the sun.

Other sources of shade include standard park pavilions with picnic tables. A softball field and basketball court provide places for afternoon sports. Walking trails give you many different ways to make routes through the park, though your dog may prefer to cut through the soft grass. Ample lawn space makes this as good a place for an on-leash romp as it is for a picnic. In spring and summer, tall flowers in vivid purples and pinks burst into bloom. Water fountains are available, so bring a bowl to fill to make sure your dog stays hydrated. Also remember to bring your own waste bags and help the park stay clean.

Whether you appreciate the hard lines of contemporary art, the organic beauty of nature, or both, there are many opportunities for inspiration at Opportunity Park. Don't forget to bring a camera and take some great pictures of you and your dog exploring this unique corner of Dallas.